Tubular insert



J. ROSAN TUBULAR INSERT Feb. 27, 1945.

Filed Feb. l5, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 4 I. i TTD/@NEX /N VEA/roe Jose/ob @0.50/79 Y Feb. 27, 1945. J. osAN 2,370,327

TUBULAR INSERT Filed Feb.' 13, 1943 2 sheets-sheet 2 6 7 3. .m 5 3 9 F ,7 @U/f M W anw F A. 6 o Z 2 F ,f////r d 7 5 d w /l W. w ,w m my Patented Feb. 27, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT omas 2,310,321 TUBULAB INSERT Joseph noun, North nouywoea, caux. Application February 13, 1943, Serial No. 475,774

` 4 Claims.

My invention relates to tubular inserts designed for anchorage in bores of bodies of relatively soft material for various purposes, including the purpose of making various connections with such bodies. For the present disclosure I elect to describe embodiments of the invention designed to provide screw-threaded attachment of objects to a body of relatively soft material, but it will be recognized that the invention may be applied to the construction of inserts for other purposes. For example, inserts constructed in accord with the same principles may be designed to serve as liners for such bores.

'I'he present invention is especially applicable to the problem of providing means whereby threaded members such as screws and studs may be employed for eilective connection to bodies of soft metals, wood, and various plastics. I'his problem is especially dilcult when the connection must withstand vibration as well as ordinary stresses. for example, whenthreaded connections are to be relied upon for anchorage to airplane parts of alumin magnesium. and related alloys.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an insert for permanent anchorage in a bore in soft material in such manner as to aord highly effective resistance to withdrawal from the bore. I propose to provide a threaded insert that may be employed in a body of magnesium or aluminum allo'y to retain a conventional screw therein against forces equal to the full tensile strength of the screw. I have found that an anchorage of the required eiectiveness may be achieved by employing a tubular insert of a certain type with arms having anchorage projections or teeth for penetration of the surrounding soft material, a spreader means or wedge being forced into the tubular insert to spread the arms apart radially and thereby cause penetration by the projections or teeth.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a novel and improved mode of cooperation between such a spreader means and the arms f the insert whereby the arms are prevented from twisting and whereby the teeth on the arms are positivelygor relentlessly guided for radial penetration of the surrounding material. In one practice of the invention it is my object to provide a combined screw and spreader means that manner with the arms of A further object in another practice of the invention is to provide for cooperation between the arms of the insert and a conventional screw insert whereby ilnal tightening rotation of the screw tends both to additionally arms and to bind or lock the screw against; withdrawal.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, taken with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, which are to be considered as illustrative only:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a blank at an intermediate stage in my method of manufacturing one form of tubular insert;

Figs. 2. 3 and 4 are end views of the blank at subsequent stages in the process of manufacture;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the completed insert;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the completed insert Fig. 7 is a sectional view of an insert and a portion of a body showing the insert being threaded into the bore of the body;

Fig. 8 is a similar view showing the insert in its final expanded conilguration;

Fig. 9 is a transverse section taken as indicated by the line 9 9 ot Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 9 showing the result of employing a diierent spreading means; n Fig. 1l is an end view of a modified form o! the insert:

Fig. 12 is a sectional view of the modified insert installed in a bore in preparation for expansion by wedging action;

Fig. 13 is a similar view of the insert after expansion; I

Fig. 14 is a view similar to Fig. l showing a modified blank for manufacturing an insert;

Fig.l 15 is a view similar to Fig. 6 showing the nnished insert obtained from the blank o! Fig. 14;

Fig. 16 is a sectional view of an insert indicating how a cap screw may cooperate therewith in a novel manner;

Fig. 17 is a sectional view showing a cap screw designed to function as a spreader for cooperation with the insert:

Fig. 18 is a sectional view of a blank at an intermediate stage in the process of producing another form of the tubular insert;

Figs. 19, 20, and 21 are end views showing successive stages in processing the blank of Fig. 18;

Fig. 22 is a sectional view showing the resulting insert threaded into a bore in preparation for expansion; and

Fig. 23 is a similar view of the insert fully expanded and engaged by a cap screw.

Figs. 1 to 4 illustratel my preferred method 2' of manufacturing the' tubular insert shownm section in Fig. 5 and in elevation in rig. 6. The

iinishedinsertgenerally designated lunacyextensions or arms Il integral with the cylindriarms Il having outwardly directcal body 8i, the ed anchoring `projections or teeth il. The teeth are adapted to penetrate surrounding material when the plurality of arms Il is radially expanded by employment of a suitable spreader or wedging means. After the insert is anchored, it may receive and effectively engage a conventional screw or stud by virtue of inner threads I1 cut in the inner cylindrical wall of the body Il.

While such an insert may be produced by various procedures including casting and rolling operations, I prefer a method of manufacture that for the most part. if not entirely, consists pf conventional machine operations whereby the inserfs mayv be produced in mass by automatic screw machines. Figs. 1 to 4 exemplify the various steps of such a method.

Fig. 1 shows a blank generally designated 4I at an early stage in the manufacturing process,

' the blank being a piecev of conventional round stock of suitable diameter. At this particular stage, a blind bore 4I with a tapered inner end I2 has been formed and tapped to produce the inner threads Il. The recesses I! have been cut and the periphery of the blank has been machined to produce the external threads 32. Beyond the external threads l2 the blank has been cut away clrcumferentially to form a tapering neck 4l of reduced diameter and to form what may be termed a radial flange Il at the inner end of the blank.

Fig. 2 indicates how four lateral cuts ll preferably of curved configuration may be made in the radial flange "to produce four anchoring or penetrating edges 41, which edges will comprise the points of the finished teeth 35. The next step is to cut slots in the flange Il and neck 43 of the blank to form the various arms 34. As indicated in Fig. 3, a simple procedure Ls to make two diametrical cuts, thereby forming four slots II. .It will be noted that the slots Il complete the formation of the'teeth lil as well as of the arms Il. The outer ends of the arms 34 may be regarded as the inner ends of the teeth and it will be noted that these ends have two inner surfaces or faces Il defining an inner edge tl of substantial sharpness. Each pair of converging inner surfaces l0 may be regarded as forming a tapered heel.

To complete the manufacture of the insert Il. it is merely necessary to contract the group of arms 8l radially by bending the individual arms inwardly. By virtue of the tapered configurationof the blind bore di, each of the arms Il has a concave inner surface 52 and the various surfaces l2 converge prior to the contraction of the plurality of arms. the contraction serving to increase the degree of convergence. Preferably the arms are flexed inwardly to substantially meet at their ends as indicated in Fig. 4.

Fig. 'l indicates how a tool generally designated may be employed to thread the tubular arrasa? inaertllintoabodyllofrelativelysoftmaterialhavingaborell withinnerthreadsil. the bore threads il matching` threadsl! oftheinscrt. Thetoolllhasapilot end t0 dimensioned to dt into the bore of the insert and has a diametrlcal pair of blades Il to engage the end recesses Il of the insert. Buch a tool may be power-driven or may be rotated by a suitable wrench applied to a hexagonal portion t2 of the tool. Preferably the tubular insert Il is set in from the outer end of the bore and the tool Il may have an annular stop shoulder Il to keep the tool from following the tubular insert beyond the desired depth.

After the insert 3l is installed, as indicated in Fig. "l, it is contemplated that a suitable spreader or wedge will be forcedinto the insertto cause the plurality of arms I4 te spread radially, thereby forcing the teeth il into the surrounding ma. terial. In the usual practice of the invention the spreader means is relatively short so that the spreader in its final position leaves the inner threads Il of the tubular insert exposed for subsequent engagement by a conventional screw or s ud.

Fig. 8 shows a spreader in the form of a conical wedge, the spreader being driven into the tubularl insert ll by means of a suitable tool Il.

'I'he tool Il may Aexert steady pressure on the conical wedge or may be actuated by hammer blows. One of the problems involved in the use of a conical spreader is the tendency of the arms ll to twist in response to the entering movement of the conical wedge, especialLv if the conical wedge has a smooth surface. Thus, Fig. 10' illustrates the action of a conical wedge l1 having a smooth unbroken surface. When the wedging action creates any substantial pressure outward against the sharp inner edges li of the teeth, the teeth tend to twist around w present one of the inner faces BI to the smooth periphery of the Wedge I1.

Returning to Fig. 8, it will be noted that my preferred conical wedge has longitudinal grooves Il that converge at the point of the wedge, there being four such grooves Il to correspond to the four teeth Il of the tubular insert. When the grooved spreader or conical wedge tl is dropped at random into a tubular insert Il and forced axially inward by the tool it, it responds to the axial driving force by initially orienting itself in an automatic manner to place the four grooves Il in engagement with the four inner edges Il of the teeth Il. As the tool Il continues to drive the conical wedge Il inwardly, the teeth Il are forced radially outward into the surrounding material of the body I.. as indicated in Fig. 9. During this driving action the grooves Il maintain sliding engagement with the inner ends of the teeth 3l and relentlessly they hold the teeth to the desired radial movement as distinguished from the previously mentioned twisting movement.

Although the smooth conical wedge l1 of Fig. 10 will not function properly in cooperation with the tubular insert 30, I have found that such an insert may be modified in a manner to make proper cooperation possible.

Figs. 11 to 13 show, for example. a tubular insert 1I with an axial'bore 1I, the tubular insert 'III being in most respects identical with the tubular insert 3l as indicated by the use of identical numerals for identical parts. The axial bore Il is formed preferably after the arms of the insert are flexed together as indicated in Fig. 4, and the result may be understood by comparing Fig. 11 with Fig. 4. The arms 12 of the modified tubular insert have the usual concave inner surfaces 52 but these. surfaces lead to smaller concave surfaces 13 formed by the bore 1I. These smaller concave surfaces 13 may be regarded either as inner surfaces of the arms 'l2 or as inner surfaces of teeth 15 on the ends of the arms.

Fig. 12 shows the tubular insert 10 threaded into a bore 51 and shows the previously mentioned conical wedge 61 in position for initiation of driving action by the tool 66. It is apparent that the smaller concave surface 13 on the inner end of each tooth provides what may be termed two-point" contact withthe conical wedge 61 regardless of whether or not the circumferential curvature of the conical wedge at the point of contact is identical with the curvature of the concave surfaces 13. Thus the dotted line 16 in Fig. 11 indicates the radial or diametrical plane in which lies the penetrating edge 41 of one of the teeth 15, and it will be noted that the concave surface 13 at the inner end ofthe tooth extends to both sides of this plane. As a result of this relationship, the conical wedge 61 effectively prevents twisting of the arms 1-2 and causes the teeth 15 to be driven radially into the surrounding material when the conical wedge is driven home, as indicated in Fig. 13. This action` may be compared with that characteristic of the first described form of the invention. Thus, as seen in Fig. 9, the angular heel of the tooth in this instance provides two point contact with the surfaces deiining groove in the wedge, thereby preventing twisting of the ar 'I'he essential resuit is thus the same in both cases.

Figs. 14 and 15 illustrate the fact that an insert under my broad concept may be manufactured without bending the arms of the insert inwardly after the slots are cut. The blank shown in Fig. 14 is largely similar to the blank shown in Fig. 1 as indicated by the use of corresponding numerals but differs in that the radial ange 69 of the blank is smaller in relative diameter than the radial flange 45 in Fig. 1. The radial flange 69 is slightly smaller in diameter than the bore 51 into which the insert is to be mounted. The blank of Fig. 14 is processed in the manner heretofore described, but the step of bending the arms inwardly is omitted. The result is the finished insert shown in Fig. 15 having arms 14 with teeth 19 thereon.

Fig. 16 shows a cap screw 11 in the process of being threaded into a tubular insert 10 for the purpose of assembling to the body 56 some cooperative part of device 18, and indicates how in one practice of the invention the conventional cap screw 11 may cooperate with the tubular insert both to expand the insert against the surrounding body and to bind or grip the cap screw in a manner to discourage retraction of the cap screw. It will be noted that the inner threads l1 of the tubular insert in Fig. 16 taper oil' in depth in the region 80, such taper being produced by employing a conventional'ltap with the usual tapered nose with shallow leading cutting teeth. It will be region 80 lies in the longitudinal zone of the arms 12 so that the region 80 lies in what may be termed a radial expansile portion of the insert. When the cap screw 11 is threaded tightly into the insert. the leading end of the cap vscrew enters the region 8|) of relatively shallow inner threads 31 and acts as a rotary wedge against the shallow threads to locally expand further noted that the verging toward one another the insert. As a result the cap screw is gripped so effectively by the insert as to resist any tendency of vibration or other forces to unloosen the cap screw.

Fig. 17 illustrates how a special cap screw 8i may combine the function of a conventional cap screw and the function of the smooth conical wedge 61. 'I'he special cap screw 8| is similar to a conventional cap screw but has a smooth conical nose 82 of the same general configuration as the previously described smooth lconical wedge' 61. When the cap screw 8| is threaded ino the insert, it expands the plurality of arms .12 to -cause the insert to engage the surrounding material and simultaneously performs the usual function of attaching a part or device 18 to the body 56. It will be evident that the form of cap screw shown in Fig. 17 may be employed with the form of tubular insert shown in Figs. 11 to 13.

Figs. 18, 19 and 20 illustrate successive stages in the processing of a tubular blank generally designated 86, the end view of the nished insert being shown in Fig. 2l and a. longitudinal section being shown in Fig. 22. At the stage of manufacture indicated by Fig. 18, the blank 86 has internal threads 81, end recesses 88, external threads 89, a n'eck 90 of reduced outside diameter, and a, radial flange 9| at its inner end. It will be noticed that the blank has a straight bore 92 for its full length. In the same manner as heretofore indicated, four lateral cuts 93 are made in the radial flange 9| to form four penetrating edges 95, and then as illustrated in Fig. 20 longitudinal slots 96 are cut in the end of the blank. thereby forming arms 91 and teeth 98 on the ends of the arms. In the final step of manufacture, the arms 91 'are bent together, as indicated in Figs. 21 and 22. It will be noted that each of the arms- 91 has a concave inner surfaceI |00 that continues as the concave surface of the inner end of the corresponding tooth 98.

After the tubular insert 86 is threaded into the bore 51 of a body of soft material, a spreader in the form of a smooth-surfaced conical wedge IDI is dropped into the tubular insert as indicated in Fig. 22, and a suitable tool |02 is applied to drive the insert past the arms 91 thereby to drive the teeth 98 into the surrounding material.

Fig. 23 shows the conical wedge lill in its final position and shows a cap screw |03, the nal position of the cap screw being such as to block any signicant retraction of the conical wedge.

The present disclosure for the purpose of illustration and to teach the principles involved will suggest to those skilled inthe art various changes.

and substitutions under my basic concept, and I reserve the right to all such departures from the disclosure that properly lie within the scope of my appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. Means of the character described for service in a, bore in a body of relatively soft material, comprising: a tubular member of such initial external diameter as to be insertable in said bore. said tubular member being formed with an expansible group of arms at its leading end, said arms having outer anchoring projections and each of said arms having two inner faces conand meeting in an edge; and spreader means adapted to be driven into said tubular member to expand said group of arms and thereby drive said projections into said relatively sott materiaLsaid spreader means having longitudinal channels adapted to receive said edges with the sides ot each of the channels contacting the two converging faces of the corresponding arm simultaneously to resist twisting of the arms.

2. Means of the character dcribed for service in a bore in a body of relatively sott material, comprising: a tubular member of such ini tial external diameter as to be insertable in said bore. said tubular member being formed with an expansible group of longitudinal extensions at its leading end, each of said longitudinal extensions having a radially outwardly extending projection and an inner tapered heel deilned by two faces converging to an apex; and spreader means adapted to be driven into said tubular member to expand said group of longitudinal extensions and thereby drive said projections into said relatively soft material, said spreader means having a converging series of grooves corresponding to said longitudinal extensions, said grooves being adapted to engage the converging faces of said heels thereby to resist twisting of the longitudinal extensions as said projections are driven .into said relatively soft material.

3. Means of the character described for service in a bore in a body of relatively soit material, comprising: a tubular member of such initial external diameter as. to be insel-table in said bore, said tubular member being formed with an expansible g'roup of arms at its leading end, said arms having outer anchoring projections andeachofsaidarmshavingtwoinner faceaconverging toward one another land meeting in an edge; and a tapered spreader pin adapted to be driven into group o! arms and thereby drive said projections into said relatively sott material, said tapered spreader pin having longitudinal channels adapted to receive said edges with the sides oi.' each or the channels contacting the two converging laces of the corresponding ann simultaneously to resist twisting of the arms.

4. Means o! the character described for serv ice in a bore in a body-of relatively soft mate.- rial, comprising: a tubular member of such initial extemal diameter as to be insertable in said bore, said tubular member being formed with an expansible group of longitudinal extensions at its leading end, each of said longitudinal extensions having a radially outwardly extending projection and an inner tapered heel denned by two faces converging to an apex: and a tapered spreader pin adapted to be driven into said tubular member to expand said group of longitudi-Y nal extensions and thereby drive said projections into said relatively soft material, said tapered spreader pin having a converging series of grooves corresponding w said longitudinal extensions. vsaid grooves being adapted'to engage the converging faces of said heels thereby to resist twisting of the longitudinal extensions as said projections are driven into said relatively sott material.

JOSEPH ROSAN.

said tubular member to expand said 

